Seat-belt enforcement blitz underway by deputies, police

Bartholomew County Sheriff’s deputies and Columbus police officers will be out looking for seatbelt violations this month.

The agencies will be taking part in the national 2016 Click it or Ticket project through May 30th.

Local deputies will join more than 250 state and local law enforcement agencies in Indiana, and thousands more across the country, to conduct high-visibility patrols encouraging drivers and passengers to buckle up.

Click It or Ticket is an annual enforcement effort supported by federal funding allocated to Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Office from the Traffic Safety division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. Bartholomew County deputies and Columbus Police officers will work overtime to conduct seat belt patrols around the clock.

According to ICJI, in 2015, there were 818 fatalities on Indiana roadways. Of those fatalities, 33 percent were unrestrained.